zi6 gou3 fan5 jung5自告奮勇自告奋勇
Jyutpingzi6 gou3 fan5 jung5
Yalejih gou fáhn yúhng
Definition
To volunteer for a difficult, risky, or challenging task.
neutraldaily actionspeople
How it's used
Used primarily in formal or semi-formal contexts to describe someone stepping up for a difficult or daunting task. While it implies bravery, it is often used with a touch of irony or lightheartedness when someone volunteers for a chore that others are trying to avoid. It carries a stronger sense of personal initiative than simply saying 幫手.
Examples
He volunteered to handle this troublesome matter.
Does anyone want to volunteer to help move things?
Related words
Common phrases
to volunteer to go and...
to volunteer to help
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general word for volunteering, but it specifically implies taking on a challenge or a risky situation rather than just offering casual assistance.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
